A New Dawn: Four of Many, Four of Power
by Echoflame of FireClan
Summary: Four kits, like any other. Four clans. Four seasons. Like any other. Not. Starclan has chosen, a warrior-to-be from each clan, with special powers and abilities. They must rise to the challenge and defeat a new power—a great power—a shadow over the peaceful life in the forest. A new threat to the clans. They must take it down, or die trying.
1. Meet the Cats

**Hey, anybody who is reading this, this is my second fanfic, first warriors fic so please no flames, I'm doing my best here. The first chapter just tells you who the cats are. None of the characters in actual Warrior books are here, so if you see a name you recognize(For example Bluekit, Spottedkit) it's just a coincedence, or well, I liked the name. Please follow and review even if there isn't really much to review, and enjoy! Hopefully will have prologue up soon.**

**THUNDERCLAN**

**LEADER—SPIRITSTAR-Small she-cat with long gray and white dappled pelt**

* * *

**DEPUTY—TIGERSTRIPE—Large orange tom with black stripes, like a tiger**

* * *

**MEDICINE CAT: MISTCLOUD—Slender gray she-cat with cloudy gray eyes**

**APPRENTICE: FEATHERPAW**

* * *

**WARRIORS**

**DAPPLEPELT—Pretty tortoiseshell she-cat**

**APPRENTICE: ROWANPAW**

**RAINCLOUD—Gray furred tom who's fur looks blue in the sun**

**APPRENTICE: SMOKEPAW**

**SUNSCAR—Golden furred tom with long burn scar down his side**

**FROSTFUR—Small white furred she-cat with bright blue eyes**

**APPRENTICE: ICEPAW**

**LONGTAIL—Large, wiry brown tom with an exceptionally long tail**

**DAWNCLOUD—Red she-cat with blue eyes and fluffy fur**

* * *

**QUEENS**

**SANDGORSE—Pale cream colored she-cat, mother to Smallkit, Bluekit, and Echokit**

**(Mate—Raincloud)**

**POOLCLOUD—Tortoiseshell she-cat, mother to Flykit and Spottedkit **

**(Mate—Longtail)**

**BIRDSONG-Golden and white she-cat, mother to Sunscar's kits Blackkit and Silverkit**

**GOLDENFUR—Golden she-cat(Expecting Tigerstripe's kits)**

* * *

**ELDERS**

**NEWTSPECK—White tom with black specks**

**WHITEFOOT—Black tom with one white paw**

**DAISYTAIL—Tortoiseshell she-cat**

* * *

**RIVERCLAN**

**LEADER: COALSTAR—Black tom**

* * *

**DEPUTY: MOSSEAR—Tan she-cat with a torn ear**

* * *

**MEDICINE CAT: OAKCLOUD—Brown tom**

* * *

**WARRIORS**

**BERRYSTRIPE—Gray tom**

**APPRENTICE—LIONPAW, golden furred tom**

**SCARFACE—Black tom with a diagonal scar across his face**

**VOLEFUR—Brown tom**

**APPRENTICE—NETTLEPAW, gray and white tom**

**FOXHEART—Red tom with white all down his belly**

**APPRENTICE—GRAYPAW, gray she-cat**

**CLOUDFUR—White furred she-cat**

**LEAFFALL—Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes**

* * *

**QUEENS**

**MARIGOLDPELT—Golden colored she-cat, mother to Tinykit and Sparrowkit**

**(Mate—Coalstar)**

**DOVEFLIGHT—Gray she-cat, mother to Ivykit and Finchkit(Mate—Foxheart)**

**MARSHFUR—Brown and white she-cat (Expecting Berrystripe's kits)**

**HOLLYBERRY—White and red she-cat, mother to Ravenkit(Mate, dead)**

**MALLOWTAIL—Tortoiseshell she-cat(Mate—Volefur)**

* * *

**ELDERS**

**DEADEYE—Blind black tom**

**SMALLCLAW—Small brown she-cat**

**TORNEAR—Brown and black tom with one ear**

* * *

**WINDCLAN**

* * *

**LEADER: BREEZESTAR**

* * *

**DEPUTY: NIGHTFEATHER—Black tom with fur that sticks up at odd angles**

* * *

**MEDICINE CAT: FEATHERPELT—Gray and white she-cat, blind**

* * *

**WARRIORS**

**LIGHTNINGSCORCH—Golden and/or orange furred tom**

**SWAMPSHADE—Brown and tan she-cat**

**PATCHPELT—White tom with brown and black and tan patches**

**APPRENTICE—CEDARPAW**

**ROCKFUR—Gray tom**

**BRAMBLEPELT—Pretty brown she-cat with cream colored ears and tail**

**APPRENTICE—SHIMMERPAW**

**CROWFLIGHT—Gray and black tom**

* * *

**QUEENS**

**FLYSPECK—Black and white she-cat, mother to Blossomkit, Hawkkit, and Dustkit**

**(Mate—Nightfeather)**

**SQUIRRELPELT—Brown and orange she-cat (Expecting Rockfur's kits)**

* * *

**ELDERS**

**FLAMEPELT—Orange tom**

**MOUSEWHISKER—Very small cream colored she-cat**

* * *

**SHADOWCLAN**

* * *

**LEADER: TAWNYSTAR—Brown and orange she cat with white spots**

* * *

**DEPUTY: APPLECLOUD—White and brown tom**

* * *

**MEDICINE CAT: LEAFSPECK**

**APPRENTICE: ROBINPAW**

* * *

**WARRIORS**

**IVYSHINE—White she-cat with blue eyes**

**DARKBREEZE—Black, gray and cream colored tom**

**POPPYSTORM—Orange and cream she-cat**

**TALLFROST—Large white tom**

**APPRENTICE—SAGEPAW**

**MAPLEPELT—Orange, brown and cream colored she-cat**

**GRAYSHADE—she-cat with a mixed shade of grays on her pelt**

**PINEHEART—Russet tom**

**FLAMEFUR—Red tabby she-cat**

**APPRENTICE—DEWPAW**

* * *

**QUEENS**

**YELLOWTOOTH—Yellow mottled she cat, mother of Tallfrost's kits Frostkit, Dapplekit and Stormkit**

**ANTSHINE—Brown and white she-cat, mother of Applecloud's kits Newtkit and Mintkit**

**CEDARHEART—Gray tabby she-cat, expecting Darkbreeze's kits**

* * *

**ELDERS**

**MORNINGMIST—Silver and white she-cat, former leader**

**RAGGEDCLAW—Black and white tom**

**LIZARDSTRIPE—black she-cat with green eyes, former deputy**

* * *

**CATS OUTSIDE CLANS**

**WINNIE—White and gray she-cat, kittypet**

**STORK—long-legged gray tom, rogue**

**PRINCESS—white she-cat kittypet**

**MAX—brown and cream colored tom, kittypet**

**SPIDER—Old black and gray tom, loner**

**And that's it! The four clans. I will tell you this, all the main characters start as kits, there's one in each clan, and the one in Windclan isn't born yet. There are two boys and two girls. The one's that are born are Echokit, Sparrowkit, and Mintkit. Windclan will be a girl, named Willowkit. (Sparrowkit and Mintkit are the boys.)**

**Review if you can think of something to say!**


	2. Prologue

Shadowy figures appeared, one by one, across the barren moor. Cats. A pretty brown tabby shivered. "I hate this place."

"It is the only place that will suffice for the Choosing."

An old gray cat brushed by the cat who had spoken, who bowed her head respectfully. All the cats disappeared after the gray cat into a cave in the rock.

They stood around a pool of glowing water. The gray cat, whom the all seemed to look to as their leader, stood and spoke.

"We all know of the threat that looms over the Clans."

The surrounding cats nodded as one and murmurs of unease spread through the starry crowd.

"And you all know that, to overcome this threat, we must choose a savior from each clan to bestow upon connections to us."

No cat spoke.

"We have done this before. We will do it again. But never before has the consequences of choosing incorrectly been so dire."

Silence.

The gray cat cleared his throat nervously. "And so, we must ask of our eldest ancestors to choose, and make one last final choice for the Clans they have done so much in caring for."

On cue, four very old, very faded cats stepped out of the shadows. The old gray cat and every cat there bowed their heads low to the ground in respect and awe.

"Thunder. River. Shadow. Wind."

The cat that had been adressed as Wind stepped forward. He stooped low and touched his muzzle to the glowing pool. A ripple of light passed from his nose to the edges, and, clearly shown in the pool, was a cat, her belly swollen with the unmistakable bulge of kits.

A pretty gray tabby near the front of the crowd gasped audibly.

Wind bowed an ancient head. "You miss your sister, Tansyleaf, do you not?"

Tansyleaf's eyes shone with pride. "It will be one of hers?"

Wind nodded. "Indeed." The image changed to a young gray cat with peircing blue eyes. Wind stared at it, unblinking. "She will be the one," he murmured softly. "I give her everything that my clan represents—speed, agility, quick thinking. She will protect Windclan with all of her heart."

Everyone nodded weakly, unable to speak. Wind stepped back into the shadows.

River stepped forward, a pretty silver she-cat. She too dipped her head to the pool, and again it was filled with the image of a queen, this time in Riverclan, and this time, the kits were already born.

One very small tortoiseshell and one golden, the dawning sun reflecting off of his fur. The pool was then filled with the image of the golden cat, older, but unmistakable.

"I give him control of what Riverclan puts their pride into. Let him use it well, for it is a powerful thing."

She too stepped back, and disappeared.

Shadow stepped forward, green eyes glinting in the light. Once again the pool was filled with an image of a cat, a black and white one with bright green eyes.

"He will have the shadows at his command. He will now what it is to be unseen, and yet great and powerful. He must use it wisely, however, or be forever lost to the darkness."

Thunder stepped forward. A pretty young cat filled the bowl, with jet black fur and beautiful blue eyes.

"She is a warrior already," Thunder said fondly. "She will be the best. But she will also be the bridge between the five clans. The other three might win the battle, but she will bring peace. She will know Starclan unlike any other."

He turned away from the pool to all the cats watching. "She will speak with you in her dreams, but it is you who must speak back. She will have a sad life. She must not go astray, or all is lost."

The four founders of the forest stood together behind the pool, which filled with the image of all four young cats. "They will protect the Clans. Or they will die trying."

And then, all four of them faded away into forgotten dreams.


	3. Echokit: What's wrong with me?

**THREE MOONS LATER**

"Echokit! Wake up!"

Echokit mumbled something and batted her sister away. Bluekit was not to be deterred. She cuffed her sister's ear. "Come on, Echokit, Smokepaw and Rowanpaw are going to play with us!"

Smallkit padded at his sister's half-asleep form. "Come on, come on, before Sandgorse wakes up!"

"Too late for that," purred an amused Sandgorse from behind them. Echokit opened a bleary eye to see her sister's earnest face staring down at her and her mother's behind Bluekit's.

"Aww, can't we?" whined Smallkit piteously. He always got what he wanted. Echokit blinked a few times and sprang to her feet, knocking Bluekit off.

"Flykit and Spottedkit are going to be there too, why can't we?"

"I never said you couldn't."

Smallkit gave a cheer and dashed out of the nursery, Bluekit close behind. Echokit shook out her fur, still half-asleep, and sprang after them.

Flykit and Spottedkit were creeping up on Smokepaw in a mock hunter's crouch. Rowanpaw stood nearby, purring at her brother's acting skills. Smokepaw glanced around wide-eyed, staring straight past the two kits. He flicked his tail teasingly in Spottedkit's direction.

"Attack!"she yowled, and sprang on it. Flykit stumbled over her feet and ended up biting Smallkit on accident, who yowled and jumped on her. Even though he was a moon older, however, Flykit was still bigger than him and shook him of easily.

Echokit purred at her brother's attack attempts, and Bluekit growled ferociously and launched herself at Rowanpaw, who was laughing hard at the scene before her. She gave a startled yelp as Bluekit attached herself to Rowanpaw's fur with little claws like burrs, and spun around wildly trying to knock her off.

Lost in thought, Echo didn't notice Smokepaw creeping up on her with Spottedkit and Flykit behind him until he bundled into her from the side. She screeched and batted at his ears, then hooked a paw under his back leg and tugged as hard as she could. He yelped and collapsed onto the ground. She yowled in triumph and hopped onto his belly. "Yes! Thunderclan is the best! Take _that, _Shadowclan!" She cuffed him on the ear with her little kit paw. He yowled in mock pain, and Spottedkit and Flykit leaped onto her. They rolled on the ground next to the fresh-kill pile, and Echokit shook off Flykit and battered Spottedkit with her hind legs until she rolled off of her own accord. Smokepaw got to his feet across the clearing, shaking off dust. Rowanpaw had given up and Smallkit and Bluekit were riding on her back like giant tics.

"Nice move," someone mewed next to her ear, and she gave a start and dropped into what she thought was an attack crouch.

Smokepaw laughed. "Just me. How'd you figure out how to do that?"

Echokit frowned. "The attack crouch? From watching you—"

"No, not the attack crouch. When you swiped my legs out from under me."

Echokit shrugged, uncomfortable. "I'm not sure. It just seemed obvious."

"More like lucky, if you ask me."

Echokit groaned and turned around to face Blackkit and Silverkit. The two of them stood there with smug looks on their faces, as if they'd just defeated the whole of Shadowclan on their own.

"Get lost, Blackkit," spat Smallkit, jumping off Rowanpaw. Bluekit hopped down next to him. "Yeah. You're just jealous."

"Am not!" cried Silverkit indignantly as Blackkit puffed out his chest. "You only know how to do it from watching the apprentices," he said self-importantly.

"So?" shot back Echokit. "You weren't an apprentice, last I checked."

"We will be soon. Today."

Echokit blinked. "Today? Really?"

Silverkit stepped in front of her brother, smirking. "Yes, mousebrain. Today. Spiritstar's talking to our mentors right now."

"They're not your mentors yet," corrected Echokit in annoyance, but inside she was jealous. She was just a good as fighter as Blackkit and Silverkit! She should know, she'd defeated them many times when they were playing. But she still had two moons to wait, just like any of her litter-mates. She bit back anger. She knew she wasn't neccesarily _better _than any of the cats there. But it would be nice to... well, she didn't really know. Be a warrior, she supposed. But that was a long way off, and right now she would be satisfied with just apprentice.

"Echokit! Want to play Hunting?"

She snapped back to camp. "Sure," she mewed. "I'll get something."

She trotted off to the nursery, wishing she could get something from the fresh-kill pile as prey but knowing better than to waste fresh-kill, especially with leaf-bare coming up in just a moon. She shivered with anticipation as she grabbed a battered moss ball in her teeth and hauled it to the clearing.

Bluekit set it in front of the apprentices den and signaled to Smallkit with her tail, who dropped into a clumsy hunter's crouch and lurched forward unsteadily. Echokit frowned. She was thinking as if Smallkit was moons younger than her. After all, it wasn't as if she really knew how to hunt. On impulse, she dropped into what she thought was a hunter's crouch. Her haunches at head length, she padded forwards softly, careful not to set down a paw too heavily.

"Nice," congratulated Dapplepelt as she passed by. Echokit dropped out of the crouch uncertainly and stared at the moss ball as Smallkit leaped on it triumphantly.

_That's not how you leap._

Echokit blinked, and found herself mewing, "Hey, Smallkit, can I try?"

Smallkit cocked his head and dropped the ball where it had been.

Echo shook herself and dropped into the crouch again and padded forwards silently. In her eyes, the ball transformed in into a mouse, and the camp transformed into the forest. She watched where she stepped, avoiding a clump of grass—no, thistles—and a twig that would have surely scared it away. She gauged the distance between her and her prey, wiggled her haunches, and leaped.

She had a ball of moss under her paws.

She blinked.

She wasn't sure what she expected—for it to be a real mouse? Of course not! She was just a kit.

"Nice hunting," appraised a voice. Echokit didn't even bother to turn to confirm that it was Sunscar, she could tell easily from his scent and voice.

"Thanks," she mewed, subdued, although she wasn't sure why. As she watched Bluekit mimicking a badger and lumbering towards the moss ball with her eyes shut, she purred, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

_What's wrong with me?_


	4. Sparrowkit: Safe, but different

Sparrowkit scuffed his paws impatiently. "Come on!" What was taking Littlekit so long? As he spoke, however, the tiny brown and white kit came padding out of dirt-place. "Coming," he mewed pleasantly.

"Are you playing or what?" called Finchkit from the riverbed. His sister, Ivykit, hung behind nervously, unsure as to wether or not she was welcome to the game.

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming," called Sparrowkit back, glancing down at his golden paws. They shone in the bright light distractingly, but he was thankful for his oily fur and sleek pelt. They were they signs of a good swimmer, Coalstar, his father always said. Marigoldpelt said nothing, just smiled fondly.

Sparrowkit twitched his ears and glanced at the small pool the kits had spent moons making. Now they were almost apprentice age—well, four moons—so they were determined to use their little lake whenever they got the chance.

It was big enough for about four kits, and filled with mucky water they had squeezed into the crevice with moss balls. Sparrowkit paused at the water's edge and bent down as if he meant to drink it, then used his mind to splash some on Finchkit.

"Hey!" he yowled indignantly, then stared reproachfully at Sparrowkit. "How'd you do that? I didn't even see your paw move! You must be really fast!" Sparrowkit frowned. _Every other cat can do what I do, right? Finchkit must just be confused._

Finchkit gave him a great shove, and he fell into the water with an enourmous splash, splattering water everywhere.

"Sparrowkit!"

"It wasn't me," he wailed, gliding out of the water and shaking it out of his fur, helping it with his mind.

Graypaw stared in dismay at the wet feathers that had fallen from her mouth. "Sparrowkit! I spent forever collecting that! Foxheart'll shred me!"

"If Smallclaw doesn't shred you first," teased Nettlepaw as he passed her, carrying a shrew.

Graypaw swiped at him and stared moodily at the sopping feathers. "What am I gonna do?" she wailed.

"Just dry them," Sparrowkit said, bewildered.

"With what? My paws?"

_No, _thought Sparrowkit. _Your mind._

"Don't worry," Leaffall reassured her daughter as she passed by carrying a trout. "Foxheart will understand. And Smallclaw's mad at everyone all the time anyway." She dropped her prey on the pile and disappeared into the warrior den, tortoiseshell tail swishing behind her. Oakheart stuck his head out of the medicine cat den and snatched the trout off the pile and disappeared again behind the swishing bracken.

Graypaw looked around desperately. "Lionpaw! Hey, Lionpaw!" She bounded across the clearing to her littermate, who was carrying some feathers of his own.

Sparrowkit stared at the desolate pile of feathers. _Why didn't she just dry them? Riverclan cats can, right?_

He stared at the feathers, concentrating. He didn't even notice he was doing it until it was done.

Graypaw bounded back up, carrying a few limp feathers in her jaws. She skidded to a stop next to the now-dry feathers and stared at them.

She looked back up at Sparrowkit.

He shrugged and dashed off, tiny heart beating fast in his ribcage. Finchkit called to him but Sparrowkit ignored him and kept going 'till he reached the nursery. He ducked inside, ignoring Marigoldpelts glance of surprise.

He curled next to her, enjoying her warmth and the feeling of safety. He let his thoughts wander to the pool. He had always been able to do it. Little things. He had always assumed that the others could too. It had never been odd. He had never really asked about it.

"Marigoldpelt?"

She looked at him fondly. "Yes?"

"Can Riverclan cats control the water?"

She blinked at him in shock. "No, no. None of the clans have powers like that. Not even Starclan. Why do you ask?"

Sparrowkit gulped. "Um, Tornear was just telling a story... that's all."

Marigoldpelt snorted. "Elders, filling a kit's head with crazy ideas. Controlling water...! Imagine what that would be like."

_I don't have to imagine. I'm different._

_I don't think I want to be different._

_Do I want to be different?_

He didn't know. He didn't know, he didn't know, he didn't know. He stared at his golden paws. Sparrowpaw. Not bad. Sparrowstar.

Safe.

Sparrowstar, Sparrowstar, Sparrowpaw.

Safe.


	5. Willowkit: Best Moor Runner Ever

Willowkit stretched and yawned, showing off sharp white teeth and a pink maw. She ran a silver paw over her ears and got to her feet, stretching. She glanced at her nest. Her mother, Squirrelpelt, was still asleep in her nest. She was still exhausted from her kitting nearly a moon ago. Willowkit sniffed and poked her nose into the scrap of tortoiseshell fur that was her sister.

"Get up, Heatherkit," she breathed. "Squirrelpelt's sleeping."

Heatherkit mumbled something and rolled over. Disappointed, Willowkit turned to Gorsekit. "Wake up," she whispered.

"Go back to sleep, Willowkit," murmured her mother, rolling over. "You'll wake everyone."

Willowkit glanced around the nursery to Flyspeck and her kits, Blossomkit, Hawkkit, and Dustkit. They were only a few moons older, but they acted as if the were warriors already. Well, Hawkkit didn't.

Willowkit picked her way over her slumbering littermates and stepped outside. She felt the cool morning air brush through her whiskers and raised her face to the sky. Her legs itched to run across the moor as fast as they would let her, but there was no space in the camp. She twitched irritably.

"A bit early to be out, isn't it?"

She spun around to face her father, Rockfur. "I wasn't tired."

"You didn't scent me."

"I wasn't trying to."

"Always be."

Willowkit stared sheepishly at her paws. Rockfur always wanted her to be perfect! No cat was perfect. He needed to understand that.

"I want to be an apprentice," she blurted out suddenly. Rockfur bowed his head. "Of course you do. But if you're going to be a tunneler, then you ought to get some sleep. Even the best need sleep."

Willowkit stared in dismay at him. "I want to be an apprentice," she repeated.

Rockfur narrowed his eyes. "A tunneler apprentice?"

Willowkit moved her head ever so slightly.

Rockfur ran his tail over her ears. "A tunneler apprentice," he repeated to himself. He frowned. "Just… go back to bed."

Willowkit turned away, trying to hide the frustration flashing in her eyes even if no one was there to see.

"Willowkit?"

"Yeah?" she mewed without turning around.

"Just…" she heard Rockfur's paws scuffing the ground. "I'm proud of you. Whatever… whatever you choose."

Willowkit let a small smile spread across her face and flicked her tail in recognition. She whispered a "Thank you," but wasn't sure if it had gone unheard or not.

She lay awake in her nest until dawn.

…

"Race you!"

Willowkit watched fondly as Cedarpaw and Shimmerpaw sped off across the moor.

I want to do that.

Whenever she brought up the subject of apprenticeship, Squirrelpelt always said briskly, "You're too young to be thinking about that. You might change your mind." But Willowkit knew. She always had. She wanted to run free, not spend her life digging holes. She wanted to be a moor-runner.

And her father was okay with it.

That part was done, at least. But her mother was so certain that she would be a tunneler. "You are my kit," she always said. And that was that.

Her paws itched to race with them, but she knew better. The one time she had, she'd outstreaked them all, and Dustkit had accused her of showing off. She wasn't trying to show off.

She wasn't supposed to be outside camp, but Squirrelpelt was so busy with Heatherkit and Gorsekit that she never noticed anyway. She waited until Cedarpaw and Shimmerpaw were no more than specks in the distance, and stepped out from behind the brush.

She took a deep breath and set her tiny paws into position. She cleared her mind, trying to free it of reproachful looks and cut-off conversations. There was only her. Only her and the moor.

She felt something click into place, like rusty gears turning. She took another deep breath and ran.

Her legs were long, for a kit, but they were still short. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. The wind whipped through her whiskers and she spedup, elongating her stride until she was galloping across the moore. Everything was but a blur.

And then there was a tree.

She screeched to a halt and blinked. There were barely any trees on the moor. She glanced behind her and gasped.

The Twoleg path.

To her right, bushes. In front of her… the tree.

The Owl Tree.

How far had she run?

She glanced behind her towards the moor and sprinted towards it as fast as she could. She felt the feeling again, and nervously let it consume her for a second.

She plowed into a bundle of bracken.

"Yow!"

She stumbled backwards, dizzy and confused. The same clump of bracken that she had hidden in before, watching the apprentices train.

Had she imagined it all?

Crowflight stuck his head out from the bushes. "Willowkit?"

"Um…"

He twitched his head irritably. "What are you doing outside camp?"

"Um, tree, owl, uh, running. I mean, watching the appreentices."

The young warrior flicked her with his tail. "Come on. I'm sure your mother's worried sick."

"She's not," Willowkit mumbled, but she followed the gray and black tom across the barren landscape back to camp.

Heatherkit and Hawkkit were there, waiting for her.

"Did you leave camp?" gasped Heatherkit, as if it were unimaginable.

"Did you get hurt?" asked Hawkkit, concerned.

"M' fine," Willowkit mewed.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Hawkkit, following her towards the nursery. "Your eyes look kind of… glazed. Did you hit your head?"

"No," Willowkit mumbled. She flounced into her nest and buried her face in the moss, a clear sign that she didn't want to talk. She could scent Hawkkit's hurt, but was too confused about her own situation to care. He'd get over it.

Was what had happened real? Or had she imagined it all?

It felt real.

It was real.

Was it?

She had run before. Never like that. Well, that time she had taken the time to clear her mind of her problems. Maybe that made a difference. She closed her eyes and tried to recreate the feeling, like her stomach was dropping out. Terrifying, but exhilarating.

Only one thing was for sure, if it had been real.

She was going to be the best moor runner ever.

**REVIEW, PLEASE! Really appreciate it.**

**I gotta tell you, I'm really getting into this story. Of course, by 'getting into,' I mean 'writing obsessively.' Whatever. Same difference, right? **

**R&R!**


	6. Mintkit: Into the Shadows

Mintkit gave a yowl of triumph. "Shadowclan is the best! Take that, mousehearts! Stupid Thunderclan!" He swiped a paw at his brother, Newtkit, who went limp.

"Now, now, don't play rough," fretted Antshine, hurrying over to them.

Yellowtooth purred from across the clearing. "You can't protect them forever, Antshine. Might as well let them start learning to defend themselves now."

"Yeah!" called Mintkit, leaping nimbly off of his brother. Newtkit scrambled to his paws, looking sheepish.

"Learning or not, be quiet. Tawnystar's about to do Frostkit, Dapplekit and Stormkit's apprentice ceremony!"

"What?" Mintkit's ears pricked. "Right now?"

"Oh, no they can't be apprentices!" whined Newtkit. "We'll be all alone in the nursery!"

Antshine flicked him with her tail. "You'll have Cedarheart's kits when they arrive."

"In _two moons_," groaned Mintkit. "By then we'll be almost apprentices ourselves!"

"And then you won't have to wait much longer. Now, hush. Tawnystar's talking."

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey…"

"That's us!" Mintkit bounded forward and Antshine seized him by the scruff. "No, it's not. When you're an apprentice."

"Antshine!"

But her brown and white pelt was already disappearing into the nursery. Newtkit groaned and Mintkit crept forward behind a bush to get an obstructed view of the clan leader.

"Frostkit, Stormkit, Dapplekit, step forward."

They did so, Dapplekit and Stormkit excitedly, Frostkit attempting to look dignified.

"Frostkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and are ready to be apprenticed. From this point on, until you recieve your warrior name, you will be known as Frostpaw. Your mentor will be Grayshade. I hope Grayshade will pass down all she knows onto you."

Grayshade stepped forward, looking overjoyed. Frostpaw leaned up to touch noses with her mentor, looking equally thrilled. The two stepped back.

"Stormkit, from this point on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Stormpaw. Your mentor will be Maplepelt. I hope she will pass down all she knows onto you."

Dapplepaw was apprenticed to Applecloud. Mintkit frowned. He had been hoping that he would be apprenticed to his father, the deputy. Of course, that was probably just a silly hope. Fathers nearly never mentored their kits.

"Frostpaw! Stormpaw! Dapplepaw!" He yowled as loudly as he could along with the others. Tawnystar leaped down from the boulder.

Dapplepaw bounded up to him. "Mintkit! Isn't it great! Maybe we'll get to hang out a lot because my mentor is your father!"

Mintkit brightened. "I never thought of that! Hey," he added, somewhat forlornly, "will you guys still play with us, even though we're kits and you're apprentices?"

Stormpaw, padding up and catching the conversation, nudged him playfully. "Of course, mousebrain! You'll be apprentices too, soon."

"Three moons," mumbled Newtkit.

Dapplepaw looked at him uncertainly. "Hey! Let's play Invasion."

Newtkit brightened. "Okay!"

"Frostpaw, you be Thunderclan!"

"Aww, I want to be Riverclan!"

Stormpaw blinked. "Riverclan?"

Frostpaw shrugged. "Better than Thunderclan."

Her litter-mate nodded in consent. "All right, Shadowclan is invading Riverclan because those fish-hearts stole…" He glanced around. "Dapplepaw."

"Aww, I don't want to be prisoner!"

"Too bad," Stormpaw told her sharply, but his eyes sparkled. "And I'll be the prison guard."

Mintkit gulped. "Jus us versus you three?"

"Oh, come on! We haven't even started training yet! Our mentors are still talking to Tallfrost."

"Okay," mumbled Newtkit.

"All right. The nursery is the prison."

Dapplepaw slunk into the empty nursery. Stormpaw stood at the entrance looking important. Frostpaw plunked herself down in the middle of the clearing and lay her tail over her eyes. "One… two… three… four…"

Newtkit sped off in the direction of the warrior's den. Stormpaw lay his tail over his eyes as well.

Mintkit glanced ruefully in the direction of his brother's retreating tail then glanced at a thick clump of bracken near the nursery entrance. Careful not to disturb the leaves, he crept behind them and got down as low as he could, hoping his black-and-white pelt wouldn't show through the green leaves.

"Fifty!" called Frostpaw sitting up. "First one found is crow-food!"

Mintkit glanced up, hoping she wouldn't see him and trying to stifle his purrs. Frostpaw padded out of the clearing tasting the air.

Mintkit glanced at Stormpaw. He wasn't too close to the nursery entrance, and he was looking the other way… If he could just…

Mintkit crept from his hiding place, not making a sound. He slunk straight behind Stormpaw.  
_Don't see me… don't see me…_

He felt a curious cold sensation wash over his pelt, like ice water. He shivered and snuck into the nursery.

He turned to Dapplepaw.

She made no reaction, simply stared straight through him.

"Dapplepaw!" he hissed.

She gave a start and glanced around. "Mintkit? Is that you? Where are you?"

"Where am—Dapplepaw, I'm right here!"

She kept looking around. "Are you outside?" she whispered.

"No, I'm—" he broke off and waved a paw over her eyes. She didn't even blink.

Paw. What paw?

Because where he felt his forearm and knew it was, it simply—wasn't.

The cold feeling intensified, and he shivered violently.

_Go away, _he thought. _It's not quite leafbare yet._

He thought of the warm sun trying to comfort himself and still distract himself from his invisibilty, if that was indide what it was. He felt the cold slowly seeping away.

Into the shadows,.

He stared at his paws. They were _there. _He could see them, black and white and just like they'd always been.

Dapplepaw stared. She'd seen the whole thing.

"A trick of the light," she whispered.

Mintkit was staring in horror at his paws, confused and terrified and unable to think. "Maybe. I mean, it had to have been. It had too. Because—because I can't do that."

"Do what?" asked Dapplepaw briskly. "Nothing happened, after all."

He stared at her. She was trying to tell him something.

"Right," he croaked. "Nothing at all."

**REVIEW!**


	7. Echokit: The First Dream

"Icepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Icefall. Starclan honors your dedication and sharp senses, and we welcome you as a full member of Thunderclan."

"Icefall! Icefall!" Echokit yowled as loudly as she could, losing her balance and staggering against Sandgorse, who pushed her off gently with a purr.

As Spiritstar leaped down from the Highrock, Echokit and Bluekit bounded up to Icefall and newly named Smokecloud and Rowanoak.

"Wow, you're warriors now! Will you teach us battle moves?" demanded Smallkit excitedly, rearing up on his hind legs and losing his balance.

Echokit cuffed him playfully. "That's not how you do it, mouse brain."

"Oh yeah?"

Bluekit rose into an unsteady battle position on her other side. She heaved a ferocious swipe at Rowanoak—and fell over backwards.

"Mouse dung!" she spat, scrambling to her feet.

"Bet I can do it," Echokit told her teasingly. She rose onto her hind legs and batted at the air steadily. It was easy. She mock-growled and lunged at Icefall, who fell backwards with a surprised _mrow!_

"Nice try, Echo_kit_."

Echokit scrambled off, pelt flushed and upper lip drawn back over her teeth in a snarl.

"No one asked you, Blackpaw."

"Sorry, can't talk," he said breezily, flicking her nose with his tail as he passed, "We have to go train with our _mentors._"

Silverpaw slunk after him, ears laid back. Echokit watched in disgusted envy as the two pranced up to Longtail and Dawncloud.

"I'll rip the fur from their pelts," Bluekit was ranting next to her. "Ooh, when I'm an apprentice, I'll show them what—"

"You'll do no such thing," announced Sandgorse scathingly as she strode up. "They are your Clanmates."

"They're no Clanmates of mine," mumbled Bluekit, but if Sandgorse heard she pretended not to.

"Will you teach us some moves Rowanoak? _Please_?" begged Smallkit.

Rowanoak purred and sat down next to the kits. "Smokecloud and I will teach you a hunting crouch, all right?"

"Yes! Yes!" Smallkit danced in a circle. "We'll be able to attend Clan meetings!"

"So you crouch down like this," Rowanoak dropped into a crouch similar to what Echokit had done yesterday. Hyper and energetic and eager to show off to a warrior, Echokit slid seamlessly into an exact replica of what Rowanoak was doing. Smokecloud blinked at her in surprise. "Well done!"

Dapplepelt padded up and folded her tail around her paws. "I saw you practicing yesterday," she told Echokit. "You're really good."

Echokit allowed a purr to rumble in her throat. "Thanks," she mewed sincerely.

"And you pad forward. Set down your paws very lightly, or the prey will—"

"—feel the vibrations through the ground and run away." Echokit finished, staring intently at a spot a few feet away from her.

She felt surprise ripple off of Smokecloud's pelt. "Yeah," he mewed cautiously. "Yeah, that's right."

Echokit wiggled her haunches, twitched her nose, and leaped, landing squarely on her target. She sat up, staring forwards as if into the future. It was getting colder out. Half a moon, and she'd be an apprentice. She sat back on her haunches. "Come on! Teach us something harder!"

Smokecloud's nose twitched in amusement. "All right. How about this? It's simple. Just run under my belly and shove up."

Echokit dropped into an attack crouch and wiggled her haunches, as if she were about to spring. Smokecloud's eyes narrowed in confusion, and she shot forward under his gray belly and shoved as hard as she could. He stumbled to the side, coughing.

"Oh no! Are you okay?"

Mistcloud rushed over. "Were you coughing?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Echokit just knocked the wind out of me."

Echokit stood sheepishly, not sure wether or not to be sorry or proud.

"It's okay," he added to her. "You did well."

"Harder!" she pleaded.

She saw Rowanoak narrow her eyes out of the corner of her eye. "All right," the red warrior broke in. "How about just hook, dive, and smack?"

Echokit purred mischeviously. "Bring it on."

"You just hook my chin with your front claw, then dive under my legs to unbalance me. Then just do a perfect head-butt then get out of my way and smack your tail down hard on my back."

Mind whirling from all the new information and struggling to comprehend it all, Echokit uneasily reared onto her hindlegs. Rowanoak was frowning at her as if she were confused.

_Hook, dive, smack. Hook dive smack. Hookdivesmack hookdivesmack hookdivesmack…_

Her front paw lashed out almost before she knew it was going to and cought Rowanoak's chin with a tiny kit claw, then dove frantically under her body, barging through her legs and knocking the young she-cat off-balance. Echokit whirled around, slammed her skull into Rowanoak's and, diving out of the way, smacked her long tail down on Rowanoak's spine. She crumpled to the ground dizzily.

Echokit squeaked nervously. "Did I do it?"

Smokecloud stared at her. "Yeah. Nice. You're fast."

Echokit purred as she helped Rowanoak up.

"Why don't you teach her a jump-hook?"

Echokit jumped and whirled around. Mistcloud was standing behind her, looking mildly confused.

"Um, okay." Smokecloud looked... odd, too. Huh.

"On me."

Echokit whirled around again. Spiritstar stood there. "On you?" she squeaked nervously. "But I'd never be able to beat you."

Spiritstar purred. "Just do your best."

Smokecloud whispered in her ear, "Just jump on her back. Then try to roll under her stomach, slice your paws across her legs, and roll out of the way so she doesn't fall on you."

Hmm. Sounded easy. But Spiritstar would beat her easily.

Smallkit and Bluekit were standing nearby, watching with a mixture of stupefecation and envy.

Echokit licked her lips and fell into a crouch. Spiritstar tipped her head to the side, confused, and Echokit leaped, pushing off as hard as she could to get momentum. She landed squarely on Spiritstar's back who gave a surprised yowl and bucked, trying to throw her off. Remembering Smokecloud's words, Echokit grippe Spiritstar's fur and slid underneath her, then dropped and quickly sliced a paw across her leader's legs to flip her over on the ground. With a terrified squeal, she dodged out from under the long-furred she-cat as quickly as she could.

Smokecloud and Rowanoak were staring at her. So were her littermates and Featherpaw. Mistcloud stood behind Spiritstar, staring at Echokit intensely. Spiritstar _mrowed_, and got to her feet. "Nice work, Echokit."

* * *

Confused, in her nest with Sandgorse and Bluekit on either side, breathing evenly, Echokit contemplated the events of the day. What had that meant? Why was Mistcloud so confused? She had seen the Thunderclan medicine cat whispering to Featherpaw afterwards, but she couldn't catch what they had been saying.

She closed her weary eyes and fell asleep immediately.

She was in a meadow.

She blinked and glanced around.

It was empty.

It was beautiful, colorful flowers dotted the landscape and she could see endless prey running through the grass. Big rocks lay out in the sun—perfect for sunbathing. Shadowy shapes flitted in the darkness—cats, she thought—but none came out into the open.

_Am I in Starclan?_

"But that would mean I'm dead!"

She didn't realize she'd said it aloud until she heard her nervous mew echoing in the difference. LIke her name. Echokit. Huh.

"Don't worry, you're not dead."

Echokit jumped and whirled around. A pretty brown and orange she-cat stood there, stars in her fur.

"_Am _I in Starclan?"

The cat cocked her head. "You are, but you're not dead. We only visit you in your dreams."

Echokit's stomach plummetted. "Does this mean I have to be a medicine cat?"

The she-cat laughed. "It's not the worst thing in the world. But no, you don't have to be. Your destiny is a complicated one, and you have many tragedies ahead, Echokit…"

She began fading away.

"Wait! Don't leave! What destiny?"

"Just remember we are here. You are the bridge between the worlds. The Peacebringer. The others will have need of you when the time comes. YOu are not useless. You are never useless."

"Wait!" She was waking up. She could feel it. Desperate, she hurled one last question:

"What's your name?"

The cat was gone, and only her odd scent—with the faintest trace of Windclan—remained. But the wind curled around Echokit's nose and she heard her whispering voice: "I am Tansyleaf. Echokit, are you listening?"

"Yes! Yes, of course! But… what does this mean?"

"In due time, young one, in due time. Just remember: You mustn't tell anyone of this. Not yet."

Echokit's eyes flew open and she sat straight up.

"Echokit… go back to sleep…" Smallkit lifted his head, blinking confusedly. "Why do you smell like Windclan?"

It was real. It was all real.

"I don't," she told him. "You were dreaming. Go back to sleep."

Smallkit nodded and mumbled incoherently and dropped his head back behind Bluekit's.

Echokit lay her own down and closed her eyes.

But she did not dream again.


	8. I screwed up guys

**All right guys, I messed up. I'm sorry. I've screwed up a lot of cat names, Blackkit and Silverkit aren't listed in the first chapter and the names are too similar, just cut me some slack, first-timer warrior fic here, like I've said. I'm updating the 'Meet the cats' chapter, please just re-read it pretty quick. Not changing any of the mains or heir names btw.**


	9. Sparrowkit: I am Special

Sparrowkit stared around, making sure no other cat was watching. The night was dark, Starpelt shimmering above him.

Starclan, help me understand what's going on!

He stared at the puddle and concentrated.

It shook, ever so slightly.

"Mouse dung!"

He tried again, focusing on the water.

Move move move move move…

A small tentacle lifted from the silty puddle. It curled around in the air.

Then dropped.

Sparrowkit nearly yowled in frustration but caught himself just in time, nearly choking on the sound he must'nt make. He couldn't wake the others. This was the only chance he got to practice his powers.

Powers.

He was different. Special. Had Starclan chosen this path for him? Or some different power altogether? Could Starclan see him now? Was he breaking the warrior code?

The tentacle lifted again. Bigger. Stronger. He willed it to move and it did curling around him, nearly as comforting as his mother's soft scent.

He tried to twirl it, and it collapsed.

The splash was louder. He heard movement in the warriors den, and spotted Volefur's pelt in the moonlight and quickly stepped clumsily into the mini-lake.

"Sparrowkit?" The brown tom blinked wearily. "Is that you?"

Sparrowkit tried to hide his guilt-scent and stepped hastily out of the water. "Yeah, I was just… practicing to be a warrior."

Volefur snorted. "The first thing a good warrior does is gets some sleep. Back to the nursery, come along."

Sparrowkit shook himself dry and hurried back, eager to escape the questioning glare of the young warrior's gaze. He curled himself up beside Littlekit, closed his eyes, and lay very still. He heard Volefur pad back into the warrior's den. Sparrowkit's breathing slowed until he too fell into a deep sleep.

In his dreams, he saw cats.

They were kits too; around his age, although the little silver one was younger. A tom, a black and white one with green eyes, and a younger she-cat with an odd reflective silver pelt and blue eyes, and a pretty black she-cat with blue eyes too. He could scent them, but just barely: Shadowclan, Windclan, Thunderclan. It was odd. What did it mean?

But by that time the cats were gone and he had awakened.

He stared straight up at the roof of the den, not wanting to move, but Ivykit was prodding at his side. "Get up, Sparrowpaw. Nettlepaw is going to show you and Finchkit and Littlekit how to fish."

Sparrowkit sat straight up. "In the river?"

"No, in the mini-lake. With stones."

"Oh."

Ivykit flicked her tail expectantly.

"Are you coming?"

She blinked unseeing eyes. "Hmm?"

"To learn how to fish."

"Of course not." Her mew was harsh and sad, and Sparrowkit flinched away automatically. As if she could see him, her mew softened. "Oakcloud is going to teach me some of the herbs. Since I'm going to be a medicine cat."

Sparrowkit blinked in surprise at her calm acceptance. "Are you sure? I mean, you've always…"

Since Ivykit was born blind, she had always held onto the firm belief that she was going to be a warrior. Her mother had tried to reason with her, but she was admirably stubbourn.

"I'm sure. I've decided… amybe it's best for me. I can feel Starclan. Watching me. I'm not sure… or I am. I don't know."

"You'll always be a warrior on the inside."

She purred. She was wise beyond her age. Sparrowkit waited and padded out of the nursery, finding Nettlepaw's scent.

"You can swim to catch a fish, or you can just swipe it out with a paw at the surface," Nettlepaw was explaining to Finchkit. Littlekit was hanging back, waiting for Sparrowkit. Sparrowkit purred, and Nettlepaw and Finchkit turned around. "Sparrowkit! We were wondering when you'd get here!"

Sparrowkit bounded up to them. "Are we going to be apprentices soon?"

"Less than half a moon. You're getting big." Marigoldpelt was there too, sharing tongues lazily with Doveflight as the two queens watched their kits with pride in their eyes.

"So Sparrowkit… and Littlekit and Finchkit, but Finchkit you'll have to wait a little bit longer to be an apprentice, but you could find this of value anyway… gather around, all of you."

They obediently circled around the mini-lake. "No, Finchkit, your shadow falls across the water and the fish will run away… good… Good, Littlekit! You too, Sparrowkit… Now copy me."

Nettlepaw stared at the water carefully for a moment, then muttered out of the corner of his mouth, "And then you wait for the fish to be right on the edge of your sight."

"Why not in the middle?"

"Because you're going to pounce where it's going to be. Watch closely."

Nettlepaw plunged a paw into the mini-lake and flipped and imaginary fish out of the water onto the bank. "And then you kill it, quickly."

"Amd thank Starclan," put in Sparrowkit.

"And thank Starclan. All right, you guys try it."

Littlekit was by far the most succesful; he was watchful and quick and a natural hunter. Finchkit was good as well, and Sparrowkit was pleased with his efforts as well. But his thoughts were elsewhere. He couldn't tear his mind from the image of the four other cats.

I don't even have to fish. With my powers I could just pull the fish from the water.

He blinked; surprised simply because it was true. He would have to be fishing alone, though. Huh.

He caught Ivykit's gaze out of the corner of his sight and blinked, sadder than he expected to be as he thought of her destiny. She would be important in the clan as a medicine cat. And she would still be his friend, of course. There was no reason to be sad.

Of course not. No reason at all.


	10. Willowkit: Alone

**I got a review! Yipee!**

**Stunna13: Kay, I'll capitalize that, and I'll chill on the word 'blinked.' Believe me, I'm trying to get personality in as much as I can, but I'm mixing up all the Clans so much right now it's unbelievable... a few days ago I got so confused because I thought Newtkit was the main character for ShadowClan and Sparrowkit was in ThunderClan! Jutst a ton of crap going on right now... but yeah, personality wise, Echokit is brave and frustrates easily, good friend but super-naïve. Sparrowkit is shy and kind of treats everything like a joke, Willowkit is just tired; in general kind of, but mainly of just being treated like her opinion doesn't matter and she lets other cats get to her, and Mintkit is kind of a little too proud but he means well. Thank you for the review and the constructive criticism, always appreciate both! HINT HINT**

"C'mon guys, it's our warrior ceremony!"

Cedarpaw and Shimmerpaw bounded past the littermates, brushing their fur and practically quivering with excitement.

"You passed?" called Heatherkit.

Shimmerpaw paused to answer. "Probably. At least, I'm going to be really mad at Bramblepelt if I didn't!"

Willowkit and Gorsekit purred. Heatherkit whined at Squirrelpelt, "Can we go? Please?"

"You're not old enough to catch your own prey," teased Squirrelpelt.

"Yes, I am! We can!"

"Just don't make any noise," advised Squirrelpelt, but the three litter-mates were already racing off.

"...I, Breezestar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.

"Shimmerpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Quivering with excitment, Shimmerpaw barely whispered, "I do."

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Shimmerpaw, from this moment you will be known as Shimmerpond. StarClan honors your enthusiasm and quick thinking, and we welcome you as a full member of WindClan."

"Shimmerpond! Shimmerpond!" Willowkit raised her voice with the others, thinking, This is how it feels to be normal. This is what it means to be part of a Clan.

"I do."

Willowkit dragged her attention back to the leader and Cedarpaw.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Cedarpaw, from this moment you will be known as Cedarspring. StarClan honors your intelligence and courage, and we welcome you as a full member of WindClan."

"Cedarspring! Shimmerpond! Cedarspring! Shimmerpond!"

The Clan yowled their appreciation to the darkening sky.

_Cats in Shadowclan must be able to hear us! Well, we don't care. Let them know we have more warriors!_

Willowkit growled and swiped at the air. "I can't wait till I'm a moor runner! I'll be the fastest in all of WindClan."

Oops.

Gorsekit stared at her and Heatherkit shuffled her feet and looked at her sympathetically. Breezestar glanced at her and Willowkit had the feeling he'd heard exactly what she'd said.

"Don't be ridiculous," snapped Squirrelpelt. "You're going to be a tunneler. You'll have time to choose."

"I already have chosen," Willowkit mumbled under her breath. "You just won't listen."

Squirrelpelt's tail tip twitched, but she gave no other sign that she had heard. Gorsekit shushed her unnessesarily. "Hush, hush, the apprentice ceremony!"

"Hawkkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed."

Willowkit breathed in sharply. Hawkkit was the only one of Flyspeck's kits that had ever been nice to her, and the two were very close.

"From this day on, until you recieve your warrior name, you will be known as Hawkpaw. Your mentor will be Lightningscorch. I hope he will pass down all he knows onto you."

Hawkpaw would be a moor-runner! Willowkit felt a little thrill of excitement and envy ripple through her. She wanted to be a moor-runner, run as fast as the wind… but no. She couldn't either way, cats would think she was odd, and besides, Squirrelpelt would never allow it.

Hawkpaw trotted up to her. "Isn't it great?"

"Yeah! Lightningscorch will be a great mentor, just you see."

Hawkpaw purred. "Because he's your kin?"

"No! He's just really nice and… all. He's not a flea-brain." She flicked him teasingly with her tail.

He gasped in mock hurt. "Are you calling me a flea-brain?"

"Flea-brain!" She cuffed him and ran away, purring. Then, panic overtaking her, she skidded to a stop. If she started running and let her guard down, she might find herself in Shadowclan territory!

Her attention snapped back to the ceremony:

"From this day on, until you recieve your warrior name, you will be known as Dustpaw. Your mentor will be Rockfur. I hope he will pass down all he knows onto you."

Willowkit's tail twitched in irritation. She didn't want one of those fox-hearts mentored by her father!

The bright side was that Dustpaw and Blossompaw were both tunneler apprentices. Oh wait—it wasn't, because she would be a tunneler apprentice too. She sighed. If only her parents were both moor-runners, then maybe it wouldn't be so complicated!

Dustpaw and Blossompaw stalked over. "Willowkit," said Blossompaw curtly. Willowkit nearly hissed in reply, but didn't want to insult Hawkpaw.

"Hawkpaw. Come on. We have to go train," she announced loftily, as if she were about to become Blossomstar. Willowkit snorted. _As if!_

Hawkpaw stared at her curiously. "What is it?"

Her fur went warm. "Nothing. I mean… yeah, uh, nothing. Umm… good luck!"

"Hawkpaw doesn't need luck," informed Dustpaw snidely, flicking a mottled gray tail. "He's got us. Besides, he's an _apprentice_."

Willowkit's vision went red. "He's not even trained!" Immediately she felt horrible. "Sorry," she added hastily to Hawkpaw.

"S'all right," he mumbled, and shot a glare at his littermates over his shoulder as he padded up to Lightningscorch._ I wonder if he's happy he won't be training with them._

Blossompaw and Dustpaw, noses in the air, padded over to Crowflight and Swampshade. They would learn how to dig holes, and hide out in rabbit burrows. Willowkit couldn't even imagine not having the sky over her head and the wind in her whiskers. She shivered. It seemed so horrible!

"I'll be the best tunneler in the whole clan!" Gorsekit announced matter-of-factly as he swiped at the air. "I'll dig a tunnel all the way around the world!"

"Will not," retorted Willowkit, feeling flustered from her encounter with Dustpaw and Blossompaw. "Besides," she announced, not _caring_ anymore, "I'm going to be moor-runner. I'll run around the world ten times as fast as you'll dig! You won't go a mouse-length." She winced at her own words as they came out, wishing she wasn't such a big mouth, because as far as she knew, they just might be true.

"Will too!"

He swiped at her, and Willowkit purred, simply because he accepted her choice. "Really, though," she added more seriously, "How can you even want to become a tunneler? With the walls closing in on you…"

Standing beside her, Heatherkit shivered as well, but less prominently. She was more afraid to stand up for what she wanted. Well, let her be.

"Sounds cozy to me," Gorsekit replied. "Seems like it'd be overwhelming, all alone in the big moor… I'd be afraid I'd get blown away!"

"Oh, you're chubby. You'd be fine."

Gorsekit growled and launched himself onto her. The two tusseled together happily, almost forgetting all the complications of living and making choices. Willowkit couldn't help thinking, though, as she tried to push Gorsekit, the great _lump_! off of her, about the feeling she'd gotten the other day. The wind, her belly dropping out, exhilarating. Thrilling.

She wanted to do it again.

She wanted to run.

But she would never be able to run in front of other cats. Or maybe she could? If she could control it, maybe she could…

* * *

She dreamed that night, of three cats. A tom from RiverClan, a she-cat from ThunderClan, and a tom from ShadowClan. They were all slightly older than her. The RiverClan tom was ginger and white, with a slick, oily pelt and gray eyes. The ThnunderClan she-cat was a pretty black cat with bright blue eyes. The ShadowClan tom was black with white patches on his muzzle, and fiercely green eyes glaring out from his friendly kit face.

She didn't normally remember her dreams, but the images stayed fresh in her mind all day afterwards.

She snuck out.

She ran, she opened her mind, and cleared it of the problems. She nearly fell into the Falls, but it was getting better. Easier. She just needed to open her senses more, realize what was happening around her and what was happening that was going to be around her. She sped back, and just missed getting caught by Featherpelt as she passed back to the clan carrying a jawful of coltsfoot, but she hid quickly and the coltsfoot in Featherpelt's jaws flooded her senses and hid Willowkit's scent.

She did not sleep the next night. Her apprentice ceremony was coming up. A moon? Just barely, but less.

She missed Hawkpaw more than she'd thought she would. They had always tried to scare each other before they went to sleep, with stories of lions and tigers and leopards and evil dead cats. In the nursery, with only a hopeful tunneler apprentice, a cat too afraid to speak up for what she wanted, and a mother who made your choices for you, Willowkit felt very alone indeed.

**REVIEW! YEAH! Okay, so... actually, maybe not this chap. Never mind. Go away.**

**Go away! Stop nagging me about it! I'll ask you later! Geez!**

**JK KINDA WHATEVER I'M INSANE**

**REVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWRE VIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEW**

**YEAH PRETTY MUCH**

**THANKS TO WHOEVER REVIEWED I ALREADY FORGOT THE NAME AND DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO FIND IT SO YEAH WHATEVER**

**whoops caps lock**

**;)**

**Oh and btw, time passes for each cats in the same cycle, so time is passing for the other three in this chappy too, I'm just not writing about it. They're all the same age except Willowkit, but I'm going to have to stretch time a little bit for their apprentice ceremonies and warrior ceremonies because they just simply can't all happen. Well, they are, but...**

**Never mind. **

**See you in the next chap!**


	11. Mintkit: Can I trust you?

**Hi guys, just a btw, the cat on the cover of the book is Echokit(or at least, a picture of a black cat with blue eyes. Whatev.)**

**Enjoy!**

**REVIEW!**

**More importantly!**

**Also, if anyone here does VWW(virtual warrior world) my username is Echokit, if anyone does and you want to plot just comment below with your username! I love meeting new people!**

**Okay, to... Stunna13, Really? You do? Gorsekit... I dunno, just seemed... I dunno. And yes, I might try to change that in the future, I just didn't want a leader and a main to have the same pre-fix so I kinda rushed that whole naming part. (Personally, when reading fics or even real warriors books, i just skip the allegiances :l-**

**Thanks for the review, and yeah, Guest, thank you! It'd be awesome if you could make a profile so I can do a real shout-out... And, the next ****choppy!**

Mintkit woke up bouncing, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Today! Today! Today!" he sang as he pranced around his brother.

"I'm going to be Mintstar soon!"

"No, I'll be Newtstar!"

Mintkit snorted. "Yeah, right. What kind of name is Newtstar?"

"What kind of name is Mintstar?" retorted Newtkit, but his feelings were clearly hurt. Uncomfortable, Mintkit hastily added, "Don't worry. When I'm leader, I'll make you my deputy."

"Okay!" mewed Newtkit, easily recovering his excitement.

Mintkit pranced importantly up and down the front of the nursery, then made as if to leap onto the boulder.

"I, Mintstar, leader of ShadowClan…"

Newtkit growled and lunged at his brother, sending them both toppling. "Oh, no you won't! I'm… I'm Spiritstar, and I eat kits! I'll eat you!"

"Is that any way for an apprentice to behave?"

The two sprang to their feet and stared at their paws, not wanting to look at Antshine. "Wait—now?"

Antshine purred. "Soon. Tawnystar's speaking with your mentors…"

"Who are they?" pleaded Newtkit. "Please tell us!"

"You'll find out."

Suddenly, a yowl spread over camp. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath me for a Clan meeting."

Newtkit squealed and ran off. Trying to look more dignified, Mintkit pranced self-importantly past the nursery, lifting each paw high up before setting it down. He caught an amber gaze from the nursery, set into a black pelt. Ravenkit.

"We're going to be apprentices," he informed the young kit loftily.

"Really?" His eyes widened. There was a scufling inside the nursery, and Cedarheart's three new kits, Firekit, Moonkit, and Beechkit, who had only recently opened their eyes, came tumbling out. Mintkit was surprised at the pang of regret he felt when Firekit looked up at him with big, pale eyes. She was a good friend. He brushed the feelings off. They would be apprentices in a few moons, anyway.

He hurried to catch up with his brother, who was staring up at Tawnystar, eyes shining.

"Newtkit, Mintkit, step forward."

They did so, Newtkit excitedly, Mintkit trying to look as dignified as possible. I'll show Tawnystar that I'm mature enough to be an apprentice! More mature than Newtkit. More mature than Stormpaw, even!

"Newtkit, you have reached the age of six moons and are ready to be apprenticed. From this moment on, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Newtpaw. Your mentor will be Pineheart. I hope Pineheart will pass down all he knows onto you."

The russet warrior stepped up, and Newtpaw touched a quivering nose to his. The two stepped back as Tawnystar spoke again:

"Mintkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and are ready to be apprenticed. From this moment on, until you have recieved your warriorname, you will be known as Mintpaw. Your mentor will be Ivyshine. I hope Ivyshine will pass down all she knows onto you."

The pure white she-cat stepped up, eyes shining. She was relatively young, and MIntpaw was her first apprentice. "I hope I do well to teach you," she whispered in his ear as they touched noses.

"You will," he whispered back.

"And I have a few more announcements to make before I let you all go. Dewpaw, Sagepaw, step forward."

The two apprentices stepped forwards. Mintpaw stared at them with undisguised envy. The whole Clan had been talking about their warrior ceremony for moons.

"I, Tawnystar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.

"Dewpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

Of course you do. that's what being in a Clan is about!

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Dewpaw, from now on you will be known as Dewdrop. StarClan honors your steadfastness and perseverance, and we welcome you as a full member of ShadowClan."

"Dewdrop! Dewdrop!"

Sagepaw became Sagetooth, and Tawnystar hopped down from the boulder.

And then Dapplepaw's nose was an inch from his. "Isn't it great!" He gave a start. "Uh, yeah!"

"Come on, I'll show you the apprentice den."

Mintpaw caught a glimpse of Robinpaw peeking out of the medicine cat's den. He wondered if she regretted that, as a medicine cat, she would recieve her full name after her litter-mates.

Newtpaw shook his head ruefully. "It's our first training session!"

"Of course! I forgot."

Mintpaw trotted over to Ivyshine, Newtpaw on his heels. Ivyshine, Pineheart, Applecloud, Maplepelt and Grayshade all stood there with their apprentices.

"Come on," called Grayshade to Stormpaw.

"What are we doing?" demanded Mintpaw bouncing around his mentor. She purred. "I was thinking we'll explore ShadowClan territory."

Mintpaw's whiskers drooped in disappointment. "No battle moves? No hunting? No night raids?" He blinked several times involuntarily, remembering the game of Invasion. He shivered, remembering the cold feeling. He hadn't thought about that for a while, but maybe he had. He could feel it pricking the back of his mind. He shoved it back down. He was Mintpaw. Nothing bothered him. If he could really do… what he'd seen, then so what! He'd be the best warrior in ShadowClan! He already was the best warrior in ShadowClan.

But no one could know. Not until he was sure.

"Or, you know, hunting."

"Maybe later."

"Frostpaw and I will go with you," announced Grayshade. "She needs to calm down a bit."

Frostpaw sniffed, but said nothing. Mintpaw brightened considerably when he saw the stuffy apprentice resigned to initiating the newbies.

"When are we leaving?"

"Lead the way."

Mintpaw gave an excited little bounce and scampered out of camp through the thin path. For the first time free in the forest, he gave another little bounce and breathed in the scent of the pine all around him. The small patrol padded silently through the forest.

All the other clans think they're so great. ShadowClan could rip their fur out with one paw behind our backs! They'd never hear us coming! And they'd never see me at all…

No. He shook his head violently, ridding it of the thought. Whatever had happened had been a trick of the light. It had been moons ago. He'd been younger.

For one thing, I was a kit!

"Who knows where we practice quiet stalks and night hunting?"

Mintpaw blinked. Dapplepaw had told him, it was… "The Great Sycamore," he blurted out. Newtpaw looked disappointed, and Frostpaw looked bored. "Are we going there?"

"We'll check it out. We're just showing you around right now."

"We might run into the other apprentices over there, so make sure to be quiet so as not to scare away any prey they might be stalking."

Mintpaw nodded and ran off ahead, eager to arrive. _Can't they walk any faster? Dormice!_

Indeed, he could hear cats up ahead, but only slightly so. The leaf-fall wind carried away much of their conversation.

"Stormpaw! Why… my… kill! You…"

Dapplepaw!

"Can we go meet up with them?" he pleaded Ivyshine.

Ivyshine's eyes laughed in the dim light. "All right," she conceded. "Don't go to far!"

"I won't!" Mintpaw called over his shoulder as he sprinted away. He could see Newtpaw struggling to keep up with him from behind, but he didn't slow. Newtpaw would just have to run faster.

"Dapplepaw?" he called uncertainly. Though he'd heard the cats, it seemed they'd moved on.

_Or maybe they're hunting!_

He blinked nervously. He hoped he hadn't scared anything away. He padded forward, tasting the air. He could smell Dapplepaw's familiar scent not too far away, and near it, a scent he'd smelled before, but never quite so fresh… mouse!

"Mintpaw! Where are you?"

Mintpaw scowled. Mousebrains! They'll scare away all the prey in the forest!

Instead of bounding back towards them, he padded towards Dapplepaw. He didn't want to scare her, just see how she did it. If he did it right, she might not even see him!

He had experience with that. He padded forwards softly. His paws didn't make a sound, and he smiled to himself. Definetely the best ShadowClan warrior around!

He slunk forwards quickly and nearly blundered into the tortoiseshell pelt, but snuck back just in time. He practically stepped on the mouse. He backtracked, panicking, hiding behind a few bracken fronds. Oh, I'm sorry Dapplepaw. Please don't see me!

He breathed as quietly as he could. The wind was blowing in the other direction, so Dapplepaw didn't catch his scent, but she did raise her head suspiciously, then shook it of and resumed her stalking.

Don't see me, please don't see me!

And the cold washed over him.

Dapplepaw pounced, landing squarely on the mouse. She straightened up, the plump prey hanging from her jaws. It would make a good addition to the fresh-kill pile, especially with leaf-bare so near.

Mintpaw exhaled loudly, and the wind changed.

Dapplepaw staggered backwards as his scent hit her. He stepped out of the bracken fronds. He had been discovered. She could see him. The cold meant nothing at all.

But, she wasn't looking directly at him. She was staring at a spot somewhere to his left, and she squeaked when the brackens moved. "Mintpaw?" she whispered.

"Yes," he mewed, trying to be confused but horribly certain of something. He cocked his head and brushed her nose with his long black tail. "Right here."

She shrieked and jumped back. Somewhere in the distance, Applecloud called her name. "You're doing it again, aren't you?" she whispered. "You're… invisible."

Mintpaw shivered. "I am?" His voice came out squeakier then he meant it to. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I mean, I am?"

Dapplepaw normally would have purred, but now she just stared. "I can't believe it. I thought I'd been imagining it, but…"

Mintpaw felt his concentration lapse as Dapplepaw did not immediately run as fast as she could in the other direction. The cold fell off of him in waves, and Dapplepaw's eyes grew even wider.

"It's true. You're back now."

Mintpaw simply stood. He would be the best warrior in ShadowClan because of this… this difference. But he didn't _want_ to be different. He could still be the best warrior in ShadowClan without cats staring at him all the time the way Dapplepaw was staring at him now.

"Why can I do it?" he whispered.

"Dapplepaw!" His father's mew was closer now. Dapplepaw ignored it and stared at him broodingly, finally saying, "I don't know. No one else can… I think.

"But you've always been a good friend." She stepped closer. "I will try to help you understand, and… I promise not to tell anybody."

"Really?" He turned up his nose, doubting of the older apprentice. "I have no reason to trust you," he said coldly, but regretted the words as soon as he'd spoken them. Dapplepaw narrowed her amber eyes. "You have faith, Mintpaw. And you need to learn humility. If no one tries to send you to StarClan early, then I think you can believe in me." She turned away coldly and bounded out of the small clearing. "I'm here, Applecloud," he heard her call in the distance.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, but he wasn't sure if she heard him or not. He padded backwards out of the clearing and slammed into Frostpaw.

"Mintpaw! What are you doing? Why'd you run off?"

"Sorry," mumbled Mintpaw. "I just, uh… got lost."

Frostpaw snorted, flicking her icy-silver tail. "New apprentices. Think they can do anything, until they _can't_."

Mintpaw scowled at her, and Newtpaw saved him from very nearly pouncing on the lofty apprentice by crashing through the bracken after her. "Mintpaw! We wondered where you went!"

"Yeah, just got lost," he mumbled hastily, turning away from Frostpaw, who sniffed and lifted her pink nose in the air. Mintpaw turned and bounded out of the clearing, narrowly avoiding a collision with Pineheart, who was padding over suspiciously, probably to see what was taking them so long.

"Sorry," he muttered, and kept sprinting until he slammed into Ivyshine.

She blinked down at him. "Where did you come from?"

Mintpaw purred. "Sorry, I just got lost," he lied. "Can you teach me how to hunt now?"

Newtpaw, Frostpaw and Pineheart came padding after him, all three looking thoroughly confused. Ivyshine blinked again. "Okay, hunting is fine, but… what just…?"

Mintpaw was already padding away from the Burnt Sycamore, hoping his pelt wasn't showing the shame too much, though it pricked with guilt. He padded away uncertainly, hoping he had not ruined any trust he could have had with Dapplepaw, and hoping it—something—would come to light.

**Got a long chappy for you guys this time(Thank Stunna13 for that!) Hope you enjoyed, review with what you think and/or if you do VWW and maybe wanna plot, post your username! Cheers!**


	12. Echokit: I'm Echopaw now, aidni Geez

**Okay, I don't think I'm going to change Spiritstar and Shimmerpond's names because I'm lazy. And I like those names. Sorry. Whatever. Here's the next chappy!**

**Also, someone asked me about the WindClan thing—Tunnelers vs. Moor runners. I did not make that up if no one has read Tallstar's revenge, Erin Hunter did, and for those who haven't read it, I will explain in the next Willowkit chappy.**

**(Also, I call chapters 'chappy's. Whatever. Cope.)**

"Bluepaw, your mentor will be Birdsong. Birdsong, I know you just got out of the nursery, but you are strong, and I hope you pass down all you know to Bluepaw.

"Smallpaw, your mentor will be Sunscar. I hope Sunscar will pass down all he knows onto you.

"Echopaw, your mentor will be… me. I certainly hope that I will pass down all my skills to you."

Echopaw's jaws froze in the action of yowling her brother's new name. The leader? Not only was that extremely rare, how would she ever have time to train her? Spiritstar had a Clan to lead, after all.

A few cats purred at Spiritstar's weak joke, but most simply looked as shocked as Echopaw felt. She could feel Bluepaw's fur prickling next to her in surprise, and waves of shock rolled off of Smallpaw. "You?" she mewed aloud.

She didn't realize the crowd was dispersing until only Spiritstar, Birdsong, Sunscar, her litter-mates and herself remained in the barren clearing. "Yes, me."

Echopaw felt as if she should stare at her paws, be embarrassed, but she couldn't. This was her mentor, after all. She more than anyone would have to learn to not be afraid. She met the leader's cloudy gaze with her own vibrant blue one. "Sorry, I mean I'm honored, but normally the Clan leader doesn't have an apprentice."

Spiritstar cocked her head. "That's not true. In fact, I mentored your mother."

Echopaw gasped. "Sandgorse?"

Spiritstar purred. "I believe that is your mother, yes."

"Cool!" mewed Bluepaw beside her hastily. Smallpaw shifted uncomfortably.

"So… what are we doing first?"

"I believe we'll explore the territory."

Echopaw nods. Bluepaw and Smallpaw give excited little bounces and run off, mewing excitedly to each other.

They rush through the territory. Echopaw didn't really even remember most of it. It was all so big, and there was so much of it! At the end, the warriors gave them a brief hunting lesson. It wasn't really much more useful than what Rowanoak and Smokecloud had showed them moons before, although Birdsong did teach them a useful technique for nabbing squirrels, and Sunscar taught them how to jump to catch blackbirds and lapwings.

"You want to go out and try it on your own?"

Echopaw nodded vigourously, as did her littermates.

"All right, don't stray too far and try to catch as much as you can!"

"All right!" It was a faint mewed thrown over a shoulder, because Echopaw was already running away. Bluepaw was hot on her heels.

"What do you want to try for?"

Echopaw shrugged. "Maybe a squirrel. A nice plump one."

"That shouldn't be too hard," Bluepaw remarked. "They're all stuffing their faces for leaf-bare."

Echopaw lifted her head and tasted the air. She signaled with her tail. "That way."

They padded off together in silence, perfectly attuned to each other's thoughts. There was indeed a squirrel up ahead; Bluepaw went around the side and Echopaw ran forwards, forcing it right into her hidden sister's paws. They stood up with the limp peice of prey in both of their jaws, Echopaw with the tail and Bluepaw with the head.

"Nice catch," Echopaw mewed on the way back.

"You helped."

But Echopaw didn't get to answer, because a lapwing she'd been too distracted to notice suddenly flew up in between her paws. She gave a start and leaped after it, oushing with strong hindlegs into the air. Her stomach dropped out of her hind-legs. She was flying, floating, and then her claws were digging into the bird's feathers and she landed hard on something warm. She heard a sickening crack beneath her.

Her heart leapt into her throat. "Bluepaw?" Oh, no, Bluepaw…

But no, Bluepaw was behind her. She stepped off of the warm thing. She had landed on a conveniently placed mouse, breaking it's neck and killing it instantly.

Bluepaw stared at her with wide, cerulean eyes. "That… was… awesome. You jumped so high… How'd you do that?"

Echopaw shook her head, staring at the two pieces of fresh-kill under her paws.

"It was just a lucky catch. The lapwing practically flew into my paws. And I just happened to land on the mouse. It was half-asleep anyway." Excuses spat out of her mouth.

"Maybe the mouse was lucky, but you jumped so high! You caught that lapwing like you were catching a ball of moss. Is it that easy?"

Uncomfortable with the question, Echopaw shifted from foot to foot. "Um… It was just lucky."

Bluepaw gave her a dubious glance and rushed off with the squirrel dangling from her jaws. "I'm going to go show Birdsong!"

"I'll be there, give me a second," Echopaw called half-heartedly. She slung the mouse over her back, balancing it precariously on her small stature. She lifted the lapwing in her mouth. It was big nearly as big as her, maybe even bigger than Smallpaw! But it wasn't heavy. The reason she had stayed behind wasn't because she was getting her catches, though. She had the distinct feeling she was being watched.

As she glanced around, it proved true. Through the thick foliage, two cloudy gray eyes stare at her, and even as they disappear, Mistcloud's scent hangs in the air.

Echopaw stood there, staring at the spot for a few minutes before Featherpaw comes up behind her. Echopaw isn't frightened when she mews, she scented her long before.

"You caught both of those."

Echopaw simply nodded and turned away. The older apprentice blocked her way with her tail.

"Mistcloud says to come to her den tonight. She needs to talk to you."

"I have nothing to say to Mistcloud," Echopaw mumbled around the lapwing. Tansyleaf's scent suddenly wreathed her. She'd had similar dreams everyday since that first time, when she was a kit, and every time she had ended with the same. Tell no one.

"It may be time, Echo."

Echopaw's fur bristled. "But I don't want to tell anyone! I don't want to be different!"

Leaving Featherpaw standing in the clearing, wondering who the younger cat had been talking to, she bounded away into the forest, carrying her prey.

**Sorry, it's kind of short this time. I feel rushed. And it's not very good. *hangs head sadly.***

**Also, I would probably post faster if I got positive reviews (hint, hint.)**

**CIAO!**


	13. Sparrowpaw: Guilty as Charged

**Yay! Three new reviews! Okay:**

**Moonpebble of LightningClan: Thanks, I do my best to update as quickly as possible!**

**Twinkle the Mountain Loner: Thanks, also.**

**1. Um, I said that they were respectful to them because their pretty much the oldest cats there. I know StarClan is pretty much equal, but it'd be like being in Heaven and meeting God. You'd treat him differently than everyone else.**

**2. Yes, I meant 'piercing' XD**

**3. I actually did a lot of research to try to find what they where(gender wise, appearances and stuff) but I found nothing. Thanks for that.**

**Kidzilla20: Aww, thanks! I do my best to be ridiculous :P**

**Okay, so I will explain tunnelers/moor runners next chapter.**

**And onto the next chapter!**

**I realize how that sounds. I meant the chapter with Willowkit XD by 'next chapter.'**

Newly named Sparrowpaw leaned forwards to touch noses with his new mentor, Leaffall. Her green eyes gleamed as she looked at him. She was a relatively new warrior. Sparrowpaw purred softly and bounded over to Littlepaw and his mentor, Mossear.

"So cool! You got the deputy, lucky!"

"Leaffall's very good too," assured his brother.

"What are we doing first?"

Mossear glanced at Leaffall and flicked her tail. Leaffall swallowed nervously and said, "Well, normally we start by exploring Clan territory. So, Sparrowpaw, let's get started!"

Sparrowpaw glanced overhis shoulder at Littlepaw and Mossear, who nodded encouragingly at Leaffall. "Good, Leaffall. Littlepaw, go with your brother. I'll follow."

Sparrowpaw nudged his brother companionably as they trotted off. The Clan was so huge! RiverClan surely had the best territory of the forest. Leaffall and Mossear showed them all the borders, the Thunderpath, but the best part was the river. It was so fast and strong! It smelled of rain and damp ground and the spray whoosed through Sparrowpaw's fur, invigorating him.

"Can we swim?"

"Sure. But wait."

"For what?" whined Sparrowpaw. Leaffall threw a cautionary glance to him and he nodded meekly. "Sorry."

"I just don't want you to drown because you don't know how," she said pointedly. Sparrowpaw shuffled his paws awkwardly.

"Mossear, would you care to demonstrate?" Sparrowpaw could sense his mentor's nervousness. She was the newest warrior, beside her litter-mate Cloudfur. He was sure it was at least awkward training her first apprentice along-side the Clan deputy. He felt again a little pang of jealousy that Littlepaw got the deputy and he got the most inexperienced warrior. He had thought his brother was going to be the medicine cat apprentice, if he was honest with himself. But Leaffall was a great cat, he reminded himself. She would be a great mentor, too.

Mossear nodded and slithered into the water, a shallower part not running so quickly. She ducked under, and Sparrowpaw watched carefully as she paddled with her hindlegs like she was walking.

"Can we try?" asked Littlepaw tentatively.

"Sure. Be careful, only go where Mossear is."

Littlepaw cautiously stuck a paw in the water, then, without warning, dove in with a great splash. "Littlepaw!"

But then his head was above water again and he was paddling easily. He laughed. "Come in, Sparrowpaw. It's easy!"

"It's harder when you'e in rushing water," reminded Leaffall. Sparrowpaw nodded, glanced at his brother, took a deep breath and dove in, headfirst.

The water was colder than he had expected. He shivered a little, and opened his eyes, blinking them under the water.

He could feel the current tugging at his fur, but it wasn't too strong. He didn't even feel wet! His reliable, oily pelt was acting of it's own accord, sealing out any air. Sparrowpaw smiled, and for the first time in a while, used his mind to move the water.

It jerked violently, making him lose his concentration. He surfaced briefly, gasping for air, and noticed Littlepaw flailing wildly beside him.

_Oh, no!_

Concentrate. Concentrate. He hadn't realize how hard he had been pushing at something that came easily. The water had to still. Calm. He could feel it relaxing, but his panic was messing with his mind. He was slowing, paddling, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Littlepaw being yanked over a rock by the river.

_No!_

Leaffall was dragging him out. "What was _that_?"

Sparrowpaw ignored her, sprinting towards the bed, running along the edge after Littlepaw. They were shouting his name behind him, but he blocked it out and forced himself to run faster.

He could hear only the pounding of his heart, the rushing of the river, his own labored breathing and his brother's yowls. His legs were on fire. He was running faster than he ever had, faster than WindClan. And he sprang into the water.

He latched his jaws onto Littlepaw's scruff. "Calm down!" he yowled over the sound of the water. His brother's eyes were wide and terrified, but he relaxed. Sparrowpaw drove his thoughts into the water, the river. He would not let it take Littlepaw. It couldn't.

They were changing course. The current was leading them towards the bank, a little slower. Sparrowpaw braced himself for impact, counted to three, and heaved himself and his litter-mate out of the water. They collapsed on the sand, gasping and sputtering.

Mossear and Leaffall rushed up to them. "Thank StarClan," gasped Leaffall. "You're alive!"

Sparrowpaw lifted his head and stared at his bedraggled brother. His chest rises and falls slightly, a sure sign of life, but his eyes are closed and he keeps coughing. "Littlepaw? Are you… awake?"

_No. He can't die. Not after what I just did! I did all I could… I'm sorry, Littlepaw…_

_But it's your fault he was in danger in the first place._

A new voice, much more unpleasant, occupied a little space in his head. Sparrowpaw gave a little huff of defeat and lay his head on his brother's stomach. "Is he…" His voice cracked, "dead?'"

"Of course not!" At the deputy's words, a weight is lifted off of Sparrowpaw's chest.

"This has happened to cats before. Littlepaw has strong lungs. I'm certain he'll make a recovery."

"He really will?"

Leaffall purred and stepped forwards. "I fell into the river once too, as a kit. And I'm here now, aren't I?"

Mossear nudged her companionably. "We still think it may have addled your brain a bit."

"So… He'll be okay?"

"We hope. Probably. You did well, Sparrowpaw. You're very strong."

_But I cheated. I saved his life. I put it in danger._

Something nasty and sour knaws a hole in his being as he lifts Littlepaw with Mossear and Leaffall and set out for camp. He can already smell Marigoldpelt's nervousness.

He hopes she can't smell his guilt.

**So yeah, kind of a filler but I decided to put some action in there for once! Yay, now it's not total fluff.**

**Well, it was never fluff.**

**Okay, so I was going to wait till the Mintkit/paw chapter… Actually, yeah, I will.**

**No, I couldn't have just deleted that haha. I'm evil :)**

**GOOD DAY TO YOU, SIR.**

**REVIEW, DAMMIT**


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